Mogadishu (UM) – Too many Somali government meetings are held outside Somalia. The workshop economy for Somalia is now supporting hotels and jobs in Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya after direct flights resumed this week. Somalis and Somali businesses are missing out on the Development money meant for them and their country. This is unacceptable and must stop.
Many international agencies and their workforce for Somali projects are based in Nairobi and almost every week workshops and meetings are held in Nairobi for the convenience of the international organisations and their well paid staff who prefer to not travel to Mogadishu on most cases. How can Somalia develop if the partners are not all coming and working in Mogadishu? How can the Somali economy grow of Somali projects are supporting the economies of neighbouring countries?
The Somali government must insist that all meetings should happen in Somalia. If Mogadishu is not safe enough for some organisation then go to other safer cities across the country. There is no excuse for Somali meetings to happen outside Somalia.
The Somali government and the federal member states don’t always agree but their meetings can’t be happening in far away countries. This is a waste of public money and hurts the image of Somalia and the economy as well.
The Ministry of Planning has asked all international organisations to establish offices and move to Somalia. To this day, we do not know how many are complying. Even if they are, why are many still holding Somali workshops and meetings outside the country?
Somalia is changing and the federal government should stand up to irresponsible international organisations and it’s own members who prefer to waste public money and hurt the image of Somalia by rushing to organise and participate in meetings in foreign capitals.